WHY CHOOSE SMALLER BRANDS?

We would like to share our experience of buying into something more than just an item but what it represents and the life behind it. Let us explain.

If you take a look around: every item and every person has their story to tell. But what makes one more fascinating than the other? And how do we find our own identity within these stories.

It seems obvious that we naturally choose to be fascinated by the ones that are filled with adventures, excitement and just the right dose of unbelievable. That is why we watch movies, read books or indulge in the streams of social media – we believe that through following these stories and buying into them we will be able to somehow be a part of it all. That is all well but sometimes when overflowed by other people stories we forgot to attend to our own. We forget the joy of building our own likings and preferences and just experimenting around.

Surely there are no two stories alike and there shouldn’t be – it would be extremely boring, don’t you think? After all there is no right or wrong. And certainly we can be inspired by other people. But somehow we feel that society no longer just seeks muse but rather runs after trends to feed their hungry egos and frightened personalities. Is it the need to feel normal, the fear not to fit the bill as we rather seek acceptance by creating more sameness?

Fashion industry is a tricky one. We are played around by the fast fashion labels. They make us believe that we are in control. We think we are telling our own story through their clothes when in fact it is theirs. A story that matters for a month and then is discarded as something useless.

People always ask us why do we prefer smaller brands – they are much more difficult to attain and most likely more expensive. The answer is the story. Story is what adds the meaning to their product – the story of the craftsmanship, the story of the makers, the story of their vision and attentiveness to detail. The item is created with such a care it becomes irreplaceable.

Creating something real and original takes time and dedication. Whether it is you as a personality or a great product.

And once a story is put into the garment you can feel it and the people around you can feel it too. We are really naive thinking that there is no difference. We personally notice when someone has original style that compliments their personality. Don’t you? There is no fast lane for being unique.

In our lives we wish to be surrounded by positive things with true identities and that is why we love these smaller brands. Just take a look at the beautiful jewellery brand Kaligarh that is featured in these photos. When we met their founder Jyoti Upadhyay she would not surprise us and intrigue with the stories about Nepal and the Himalaya region where inspired by their rich heritage the jewellery is designed and handcrafted. It just shows how a true story of a real value carries across that positive energy to the whole product. But we will tell you much more in the next interview with the designer herself. It really is a story worth reading and sharing and we hope you will be inspired to seek out more real stories worth your magical personality.

ENVIRONMENT | Kaligarh is recognised as a Fair Trade Supplier by the British Association of Fair Trade Shops and Suppliers (BAFTS), and is a member of the Ethical Fashion Forum

ETHICS | Handmade by small-scale artisans in Nepal and elsewhere in the Himalaya. Brand pays tribute to the art and artisans of the Himalayan region, both ancient and contemporary whilst playing with motifs and designs inherited from generations past, re-crafting them into new forms.